What's the Best Three-Row SUV for Car Seats?

CARS.COM — Three-row SUVs excel at family life. There's usually ample room for chauffeuring kids to school and back as well as their many after-school activities (sometimes they have more active social lives than adults!).

Bulky child-safety seats can be a little tougher on three-row SUVs. We recently tested eight of these SUVs to find out which is the best for 2016. Which of the contenders stands out when it comes to car seats? Find out below.

Winner (Tie): 2016 Honda Pilot, 10 Points

The Pilot equals the Acadia when it comes to car-seat friendliness. Its four sets of lower Latch anchors, with three of those in the second-row bench, stand out for families with lots of little ones. Click here for its Car Seat Check.

Fourth Place (Tie): 2016 Mazda CX-9, 8 Points

Redesigned for 2016, the CX-9 is leaps ahead of previous versions when it comes to car seats. It has a tilt-and-slide second row that allows parents to create a pathway to the third row even when a forward-facing car seat is installed. Its second-row Latch anchors, however, are difficult to use. Click here for its Car Seat Check.

Sixth Place (Tie): 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe, 7 Points

Car seats of all sizes fit well in the Santa Fe, but what hampers it is the floppy seat belt buckles in the second and third rows. These buckles sink into the bottom seat cushion, making it harder for kids in boosters to buckle up independently. Click here for its Car Seat Check.

Sixth Place (Tie): 2017 Kia Sorento, 7 Points

Like its Santa Fe cousin, the Sorento suffers from floppy seat belt buckles, which decreased its overall car-seat score. And it takes some muscle to connect to the second row's lower Latch anchors, but our car seats fit well. Click here for its Car Seat Check.

Sixth Place (Tie): 2017 Nissan Pathfinder, 7 Points

Refreshed for 2017, the Pathfinder made easy work of installing our trio of child-safety seats, but it suffers the same car-seat penalty as the Santa Fe and Sorento: floppy buckles in the second and third rows. Click here for its Car Seat Check.